LAS VEGAS, Nev. - Denise J. Vick, 39, of Las Vegas, pleaded guilty on Tuesday, Nov. 4, 2014, before U.S. District Judge Andrew P. Gordon to four counts of filing false claims with the IRS, announced U.S. Attorney Daniel G. Bogden for the District of Nevada.
“Tax refund fraud is a growing problem locally and nationally," said U.S. Attorney Bogden. “This type of tax fraudster cheats honest and law abiding tax payers by defrauding the government and stealing funds that are not rightfully theirs. We will continue working with the IRS in Nevada to identify and prosecute these fraudsters."
According to the plea agreement, during 2010 and 2011, Vick created and caused to be filed false and fraudulent tax returns for herself and others for the tax years 2009 and 2010. The returns reported wages, income and other information that was false, and caused the IRS to issue tax refunds to Vick and the others to which they were not entitled. The refunds were issued on debit cards that Vick controlled. In total, Vick fraudulently received $307,231 from the IRS as a result of the false claims that she submitted for herself and others.
Vick is scheduled to be sentenced on March 5, 2015, and faces up to five years prison and a fine of up to $250,000 on each count.
The case was investigated by IRS Criminal Investigation and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kathryn C. Newman.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
